Unstable arc operation and cathode spot motion in a magnetically filtered vacuum-arc deposition system

Zhitomirsky, V.N.; Boxman, R.L.; Goldsmith, S.

doi:10.1116/1.579548

Cited by 52 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…A 200 A dc arc was generated between the Zn cathode and the annular anode after the momentary contact made between the trigger electrode and the cathode surface. A detailed description of the FVAD system is presented in [17,[19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

Section: Experimental Setup and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical characterization of filtered vacuum arc deposited zinc oxide thin films

Çetinörgü

Goldsmith

Zhitomirsky

et al. 2006

Semicond. Sci. Technol.

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ZnO thin films, 100-250 nm thick, were deposited on microscope glass slides and UV fused silica (UVFS) substrates using a filtered vacuum arc deposition (FVAD) system, operating at room temperature (RT) and 200 A for 60 s. The cathode was prepared from 99.9% pure Zn metal and the oxygen background pressure during deposition was in the range 0.67-0.93 Pa. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical transmission and spectroscopic ellipsometry. As-deposited ZnO films were found to be polycrystalline with c-axis orientation. The atomic concentration ratio of Zn to O in the film as determined by XPS analysis was stoichiometric. Film transmission in the visible was 70-90%. The maximum and minimum values of the refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k in the visible, for all samples, were 2.23 to 1.90 and 0.6 to approximately 0, respectively. The type of inter-band electron transition was found to be direct transition with optical band gap in the range of 3.25-3.42 eV.

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Section: Experimental Setup and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical characterization of filtered vacuum arc deposited zinc oxide thin films

Çetinörgü

Goldsmith

Zhitomirsky

et al. 2006

Semicond. Sci. Technol.

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“…A three-hole water cooled anode fabricated from a 20 mm thick Cu plate was placed in front of the cathodes such that each of the 54 mm diameter holes was coaxial with one of the cathodes. This anode design provided a random distribution of the mobile cathode spots on the cathode surface, and decreased the probability of unstable arc operation caused by the cathode spots moving off of the cathode surface [14], in comparison to a previous single largeaperture anode [7,8].…”

Section: Experimental Set-up and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma distribution in a triple-cathode vacuum arc deposition apparatus

Ben-Ami

Zhitomirsky

Boxman

et al. 1999

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

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The distribution of plasma beams produced by Ti, Nb and Zr cathodes in a triple-cathode vacuum arc deposition system was studied. The system consisted of a triple-cathode plasma gun, straight plasma duct, sample chamber, vacuum system and computerized control system. Three cathodes were located on a circle centred on the system axis. An arc was ignited between the cathodes and an anode with three apertures, each located opposite one of the cathodes. Each cathode had a separate trigger ignition system and the cathodes could be operated simultaneously or separately. The plasma produced by the cathode spots passed through the anode aperture to a 160 mm diameter straight duct. Four magnetic field coils coaxial with the duct axis produced a magnetic field to collimate the plasma flow, and two beam steering coils whose axes were normal to the duct axis produced a magnetic field that deflected the plasma beam in the x and y directions. The saturated ion current distribution in the plasma was measured by a 13-segment multi-probe which was positioned in the sample chamber at a distance of 560 mm from the cathode plane. The measurements were carried out for each cathode operated separately in vacuum and in a background nitrogen gas at pressures of 0.4-1.33 Pa.The ion currents collected by the individual elements of the multi-probe were fitted to a two-dimensional Gaussian function. It was shown that the beam steering coils displaced the plasma beam centres in a wide range in the substrate plane. Changing the current of the X or Y steering coils displaced the beam centre linearly in the x or y directions respectively, but had only a weak effect in the y or x (i.e. orthogonal) directions respectively. The background nitrogen pressure did not influence the displacements of the plasma beam centres; however increasing nitrogen pressure decreased the distribution width. The results show that the pair of beam steering coils may direct the plasma beams to any position in the substrate plane without affecting the other beam distribution parameters.

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“…To avoid this, some variable magnetic field configurations evolved from the arched magnetic field have been provided [31], such as the shifting arched magnetic field [32,33]. A shifting arched magnetic field produced by two coaxial electromagnetic coils enables the sweeping of the cathode spots on the target surface by means of adjusting the ratio of current [34,35]. However, this method is difficult to get the necessary intensity of the transverse component of the magnetic field for the small area thick target.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Performance of the Transverse Rotating Magnetic Field Steered Arc Source Used in Vacuum Arc Deposition

Lang

2011

AMR

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In this design, the concept of static magnetic field was given up and the idea of controlling the arc discharge by transverse rotating magnetic field (TRMF) was put forward. Based on the principle of RMF generation, the specific scheme and the cohesiveness integral structure design of the TRMF steered arc source were constructed. In the specific design, a bipolar symmetric RMF (N-S) parallel to the cathode surface and homogenously covered the whole cathode was generated by stationary three-phase windings carrying three-phase alternating currents without any visible physical rotation. Through changing the frequency and the amplitude of the exciting current (these two parameters can be adjusted independently), the speed of rotation and the magnetic intensity could be regulated continuously. Experiments about TRMF steered arc source used in vacuum arc deposition (VAD) showed that: the arc voltage increased with not only an increase in the intensity of magnetic field connected with the supplied current but also an increase in the frequency of magnetic field. TRMF could reduce MPs content to a great extent and get a smooth film surface. A high utilization of the target was achieved due to the homogenous arc discharge covered the entire cathode surface. We believe this design is a new-type arc source and it will bring inspiration and great interest in the VAD domain.

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Unstable arc operation and cathode spot motion in a magnetically filtered vacuum-arc deposition system

Abstract: Articles you may be interested inOn the mechanism of operation of a cathode spot cell in a vacuum arc Erratum: Plasma expansion as a cause of metal displacement in vacuumarc cathode spots Plasma expansion as a cause of metal displacement in vacuumarc cathode spots

Cited by 52 publications

References 15 publications

Optical characterization of filtered vacuum arc deposited zinc oxide thin films

Optical characterization of filtered vacuum arc deposited zinc oxide thin films

Plasma distribution in a triple-cathode vacuum arc deposition apparatus

Design and Performance of the Transverse Rotating Magnetic Field Steered Arc Source Used in Vacuum Arc Deposition

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